Circumcision for my baby?

Opinions on baby circumcision? How should I go about this major disagreement if it is indeed a boy, as we have such strong opposing views? Ultimately I know as the mother, in the hospital, it will be my decision if it is done or not but I don't want to cause a huge fight or hard feelings in the relationship either...[/QUOTE]

There are simply way too many uninformed posts on this subject. I am an RN and specialize in the NICU. I have performed and assisted in many circumcisions. The incidence of complications is minuscule and complications so rare as to be negligible.

Yes, there was a time when circumcision was strictly used in the Jewish religion but those days have passed. It is done routinely in many countries (ALL the countries with the lowest percentage of penile and cervical cancers). There is now and has been for over 30 years clear medical evidence of the benefits of circumcision. The benefits not only affect the male but also any future female partners. The benefits are both minor and life-saving. They have nothing to do with hygiene or personal aesthetics.

The small benefits are the prevention of both balanitis and phimosis. They are simple infections of the penis and surrounding tissue that are usually treatable with antibiotics. Throw in far fewer UTIs for both the male and any female sex partners. Easily treatable therefore in my mind, minor.

The far more serious items are a reduced risk of many STDs, a greatly reduced risk of penile cancer (which has a 90% mortality rate) and a far lower rate of cervical cancer in female partners.

So, let's look at it this way. If someone said to you as a parent "If your son is circumcised and receives a vaccine (HPV) as a teenager, he will never get a deadly form of cancer. Also, he will have a much lower incidence of STDs and the STDs he may be exposed to will be more easily treatable. In addition, his future wife will have a greatly reduced risk of cervical cancer and, if she gets the vaccine she will have zero risk of this cancer. Now, he'll lose his foreskin but there will be no long-term effects and he'll have full and normal use of his organ So a simple procedure eliminates 2 potentially deadly cancers and has other benefits." If a Dr. gave you that information and you never heard of circumcision, most would gladly protect our son and future daughters. Imagine if it was a daughter and I said, "we'll need to remove a small amount of tissue from her breast but she never have a fear of or die from breast cancer." Would you do that? That's circumcision without all the BS baggage.

There is far more to this decision than the cosmetic issues and some childish teasing. Cervical and penile cancers are real and they do kill. So stop the misinformation. This is the parent's choice and it's not an issue of how it looks or cleanliness. There are real and proven benefits to circumcision and there are no medical benefits to remaining uncircumcised. Talk to your Doctor. Not Hipforums

 

I wish that all parents are given truthful information on circumcision and through this, we can eliminate penile and cervical cancers for all our children. Get circumcised and get the HPV vaccine and it will become reality. No arrests required.

 

Please tell me what medical training you have because this is filled with myths and falsehoods. As for my medical training, I am a NICU RN at a Level 1 Trauma Center with advanced degrees from Georgetown University and Brown University and an undergrad from Princeton.

The truth_
Where circumcision is customary and doctors are taught more they have a lower incidence of penile cancer, cervical cancer and, potentially HIV. Along with lower incidences of UTI's and infections of the penis and Glans
1."Adamant Father Syndrome?" could also be called "Informed Parent Syndrome" since there are real and proven medical reasons for circumcision and NO medical benefit to remaining uncircumcised.
2. In the US, the rate of circumcision is 80.2%. The 55% number has been widely discredited since it only accounted for circumcisions done in hospitals, covered by insurance and within 3 days of birth.
3. You could also say, "Well you are like most other children because we know that your risk of cancer, STDs, UTI's and several other issues will be reduced. And that your future wife will have a lower risk of Cervical Cancer and we care about these things." Why not be truthful with your children?

 

You're responding to me from back in 2015! You certainly do have an opinion on the topic--you even see the need to set us straight, if we said something against it years ago.

But I'm sure you're aware of what they think about circumcision outside America. What would doctors and (gasp) RN's or whatever the equivalent is, think about your ideas over in Europe? Maybe they'd respond sorrowfully that they are constantly telling people to get their sons circumcised, but nobody ever wants to take this elementary step for their children's future health. Maybe the male doctors and nurses would be embarrassed to admit they're walking around with intact genitals themselves! What a tragedy, I'm sure you will say. But more likely, I think they'd respond with "Huh, you're American, aren't you?"

 

Sorry, I didn't know there was a statute of limitations on replying. First, Europe is a continent, not a country and the attitudes and incidence of male circumcision vary widely. Male circumcision is not an "American" thing as you suggest. In Cyprus, Turkey, Serbia, Georgia, Slovakia, Belarus (all European last I checked) circumcision is over 90% of newborns. Iran, Syria, Isreal, South Korea, The UAE, New Zealand, and Canada along with 70 other countries all have rates above 50%. For cultural, along with prejudicial reasons many European countries have ignored the medical evidence but are quickly increasing the rates of circumcision. I recommend you read the medical evidence. Benefits of newborn circumcision: is Europe ignoring medical evidence?stonaia

 

You know you can stack multiple quotes into the same post right? You've made 18 posts on this thread saying almost the exact same thing each time. We get it you are pro circumcision, as you believe it prevents cancer. Although, The American Cancer Society disagrees with you...

Can Penile Cancer Be Prevented?
The large variations in penile cancer rates throughout the world suggest that many penile cancers can be prevented. The best way to reduce the risk of penile cancer is to avoid known risk factors. (See Risk Factors for Penile Cancer.) But some men with penile cancer have no known avoidable risk factors, so it’s not possible to prevent this disease completely..

Circumcision
In the past, circumcision (removing the foreskin on the penis) was suggested as a way to lower penile cancer risk. This was based on studies that reported much lower penile cancer rates among circumcised men than among uncircumcised men. But in some studies, the protective effect of circumcision wasn't seen after factors like smegma and phimosis were taken into account. Still, some experts have said that circumcision prevents penile cancer.

In the US, the risk of penile cancer is low even among uncircumcised men. Men who aren’t circumcised can help lower their risk of penile cancer by practicing good genital hygiene.

Penile cancer is rare in North America and Europe. It's diagnosed in fewer than 1 man in 100,000 each year and accounts for fewer than 1% of cancers in men in the United States. Penile cancer is much more common in some parts of Asia, Africa, and South America. Personally, I believe it has more to do with hygiene rather than removing a part of the body.

When my first child was born I had limited access to information about circumcision so I went with what I saw as "normal" at the time and had my son circumcised as his father was. I had never even seen an uncircumcised penis. While my son, now 22, assures me that he is just fine with the decision I made to alter his body, not everyone is the same. If I had to do it over again, I would have left him intact...even if it meant risking the small chance that he would get penile cancer at some point later in life. Everyone should get the choice to decide what happens to their own bodies, unless it's absolutely necessary that something be done for them when they can't speak for themselves or are incapable of comprehending the situation. Most male infants do not have a medically necessary reason for being circumcised. What you are advocating is body modification without consent, using the fear of a rare cancer to push your argument.

 

There is a myth that it’s a “painless procedure” for the baby. Based on my wife’s account of our son’s screams in the hospital…it’s not. Maybe a lot of us have deeply hidden PTSD from a procedure that is based on dark ages medicine. I wish I had a choice. Course we live in a age when a bungling bully of a President calls for veterinary drugs for Covid and millions think it’s a good idea so progress on this issue may not be speedy.

 

Well Sallymae does have her opinion, there is no doubt about that.

So while we are sharing here is mine.
It would be interesting to gather "Actual" statistics on how many of those same Circumcisions were performed without even seeking the parents approval or direction to do it (like my older brother in the late 50's, they took him and did it without my mother even knowing till he was returned to her - F'n YIKES!) or how many got the parents approval based on societal pressures placed on new parent to "just do it because everyone does, it's for the babies health"...? To me its like saying lets remove his fingers tips at the last knuckle to greatly reduce the chance of gangrene from hang nails.
Breast cancer is a far bigger issue, how about removing breasts at birth for all girls..? WHAT?!

But before Sallymae jumps down my throat about comparing gangrene to cancer my point is, penile cancer, like gangrene, is not a leading cause of death in uncircumcised prevalent countries (or even continents), last I checked. But I'm getting off topic,

More to the point, I have not checked gangrene stats, however when I saw her quote that Canada has a 50% plus circumcision rate, I knew that could not be true from just being a nudist or using public washrooms, knowing my friends who are and who are not - and knowing the "have nots" have been increasing for the past 60+ years that I have been alive, so I did check those stats (Estimation of country-specific and global prevalence of male circumcision | Population Health Metrics | Full Text) and it seems Sallymea's quoting statistics pulled more from her rectum than the real world.
Canada to name just one, is north of a lot of things, but is not North of 50% circumcised - it came in at 31.5% helmets / 68.5 convertibles.
Sounds about right - reflecting on my childhood - a circle-jerk of 4 kids typically had 3 Aardvarks and an Armadillo, but I am no scientist... so don't quote me.

As a person representing the medical profession and one so free with sharing her personal opinions as gospel, I can see where misguided and misinformed parents might take that as actual knowledge coming from a RN and say "oh, if it might prevent cancer then do it...."

So lets try to start from a neutral stance first, then share the facts, and allow new parents to gather their own information before making an informed decision, without bias or pressure. Steer them more toward proper hygiene and away from disfigurement.
The "Medical need to circumcise" for any reason, would likely be in the very minimal % range world wide.
Not to down play the concern for Penile Cancers, but most "issues", are more to do with overly tight foreskin. (but just a guess with my admittedly minimal knowledge)
I do know however, fishing around in ones rectum has to have adverse consequence's, cancerous or otherwise so we all best stick to the books.

 

No boy should be circumcised without his informed consent. Thus no boy should be mutilated under 18. Not for parent quims not for religious 'reasons' only for medical reasons approved by a doctor. No other exceptions. The boy can have it done when he is able to make that informed decision.
Circumcision removes many (up to about 50%) of the nerve endings in the penis. Recommend reading up the anti circumcision literature. And while no one really knows the answer, how many of those 'researchers' who put out studies and recommendations are themselves circumcised? Bias?
Imagine what the reaction would be to removing a baby girls labia to prevent cancer, or stop her masterbating, or for religious reasons????

 

Except, I suggest, when there's a medical issue that means it's necessary.